Legal cases handled by Wiley Branton searchable text

SOME REPRESENTATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL LAW OR CIVIL RIGHTS CASES

HANDLED BY WILEY A. BRANTON

ALFORD V STATE OF ARKANSAS, 266 SW2d 804

          Won reversal of death sentence imposed on Negro defendant for alleged

          rape of white woman.

WATT V STATE OF ARKANSAS, 261 SW2d 544

          Served as a special prosecutor in Lower Court (did not participate in appeal) which convicted white defendant for sexual attack on 7-year old Negro girl.  (This case won for the Arkansas Conference of NAACP branches the Thalheimer Award at the Dallas Convention in 1953.)

WABBASEKA SCHOOL DISTRICT V JOHNSON, 286 SW2d 841

          Established right of re-employment contract of public school teachers.

PAYE V ARKANSAS, 2 L Ed2d 975

          Reversed death sentence imposed upon 19-year old Negro defendant for alleged murder of white employer – on grounds that confession    was unlawfully obtained.  Certiorari had also been granted to review allegation of jury discrimination.

LITTLE ROCK CASES:  

          Chief counsel for Negro plaintiffs in school cases from time of original suit in 1956 until present, including every hearing in District Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and Supreme Court of the United States.

          Chief counsel for Negro plaintiffs in omnibus public facilities desegregation suit.  Case now pending.

FREEDOM RIDE CASES:        

          Served as co-counsel in defense of first freedom riders in Jackson, Mississippi.

McCOMB, Mississippi Injunction Suit

          Served as co-counsel representing CORE in the McComb Injunction Suit.

BATON ROUGE CRIMINAL ANARCHY CASES:   

          Serving as co-counsel in defense of the “criminal anarchy” and other cases growing out of protest demonstrations in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

SIT-IN CASES:     

          Chief counsel in defense of 13 sit-in case defendants in Little Rock.  (Case has been under advisement by Supreme Court of Arkansas since January, 1961.)